Speaker Series: UNUSUAL BUSINESS: The business of being a showgirl
So much of burlesque, and the risqué act of being sexy in public involves a performance. Looking at art, performance and the body as a business and being strategic about sex and sensuality and weaponizing femininity to make a profit.
Featuring:
Ivory
Crocodile Lightning
Perle Noire
Tanya Cheex
Amber Dawn
Moderated by Dainty Smith
Accessibility: ASL interpretation provided. Auto Captions available.
Date and Time: Wed April 14, 6-8pm
* Registration is required. Sign up via Eventbrite.
A former gymnast, Ivory boasts a storied history of dance and movement training. A Graduate of Toronto’s prestigious Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, Ivory studied Tap, Jazz and Ballet. An avid yogi, Ivory’s love for movement carries her through all performing disciplines.
A brief foray into Burlesque in 2005-2006 petered out when Ivory’s burlesque troupe disbanded – but 2016 has seen her triumphant return to the Burlesque Stage. Ivory combines both classic and contemporary burlesque into her repertoire, with her notoriously sultry “sing and strip” numbers being her signature.
Website: www.pureivory.ca
Twitter/Instagram: @pureivorydotca
The Enchantress of the East and the Scarlet Siren of Siam, Crocodile Lightning is a high-voltage temptress whose face tells a tale and whose gaze electrifies you. With a blast of humor, a splash of sensuality, and a flash of naughtiness, she is here to captivate you with her dazzling performance. Crocodile Lightning has twirled her signature ribbons and performed across the USA and in New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, and Canada. An OG (Original Goddess) of the House of Knyle, Crocodile Lightning has strengthened her grip on the throbbing passion at the root of burlesque. She is ready to make you explode with maximum pleasure with her performance. She sure puts the Bang in Bangkok!
Website: crocodile-lightning.com
Instagram: @crocodilelightning
Burlesque sensation Perle Noire was born to perform. In 2008, she burst onto the burlesque scene, winning the Best Debut category during the annual Burlesque Hall of Fame weekend in Las Vegas. Perle has been named one of the world’s top five burlesque performers by 21st Century Burlesque Magazine three years in a row. After spending several years as a cast member in Dita Von Teese’s popular “Strip, Strip Hooray,” Perle went on to complete a stint in Velvet – a musical starring Australian disco diva and superstar Marcia Hines at The Sydney Opera House. Perle Noire is the Creative Director and Producer of The Noire Pageant & Healing Through Seduction.
Website: blackburlesquequeen.com
IG: @theperlenoire
Tanya Cheex aka The Satanic Stripper, staged her first “strip show” at the age of eight in her neighbours’ backyard and hasn’t put her clothes back on since! Tanya is instrumental in spear-heading the Burlesque Revival in North America in 1998. She is the founder and artistic director of Toronto troupe Skin Tight Outta Sight. Tanya is also the first inductee into The Canadian Burlesque Hall of Fame. Tanya considers herself a theatrical provocateur and uses burlesque as a medium to challenge perceptions of beauty and desirability.
website/social: Skin Tight Outta Sight
Instagram @tanyachee
Amber Dawn is a white queer femme survivor living on unceded Coast Salish Territories. She is the author of five books and the editor of two anthologies. Her memoir How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler’s Memoir (2013) won the Vancouver Book Award and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Her most recent book, My Art Is Killing Me And Other Poems, is a collection of lyrical essays that speaks to cultural and sexual harassment within the literary arts sector. She teaches creative writing at Douglas College and guest mentors at drop-in, sex work-driven community spaces.
website:amberdawnwrites.com
Twitter: @AmberDawnWrites
PUSH.PULL is a six-month online series of interdisciplinary events examining emergent and intersectional developments in performance art and QT BIPOC cabaret. Curated by storyteller, producer and stage performer Dainty Smith and multidisciplinary artist Golboo Amani. PUSH.PULL is partnering with Aluna Theatre to present:
* a three-part speaker series inviting performers and cultural creatives to engage in conversations at the intersections of visual culture, sex work, performance and politics by recognizing cabaret as a site of cultural production and community engagement.
* a five- part workshop series led by professionals in the field, aimed at engaging audience participants and community members in immersive skill-sharing experiences deepening appreciation, interest and critical engagement across fields.